More and more people have come to realize that anime is a legitimate form of entertainment, and those same people have also realized that not all anime is intended for children. That being said, shonen is the most popular type of anime because it is geared towards young adults, but many of those series cover fairly mature subject matter.Hunter X Hunterdebuted as a manga in 1998 and has had two anime adaptations so far, with the 2011 version covering more of the story.
Hunter X Hunterfollows a young boy named Gon Freecss, who wishes to become a professional Hunter like his father. Gon makes several friends along the way, including Killua, the series' secondary protagonist.Hunter X Hunteris surprisingly dark and features great action sequences which usually involve some kind of Nen ability. The series has a pretty sizable fanbase, and there are certainlyother anime out there thatHunter X Hunterfans would likely enjoy.
Updated on July 22, 2025, by Mark Sammut:Anime like Hunter X Hunterdo not come around often, and the manga’s production schedule means that an anime sequel will likely not happen for a few more years (if at all). As such, seasonal releases do not hold much value for HxH fans, unless they are willing to look beyond Gon’s journey. Fall 2024 has some anime that should be watched by HxH supporters.
Fall 2024 Anime That Hunter X Hunter Fans Might Enjoy
While theHunter X Huntermanga continues to slowly produce new content, a new anime series is likely a long way off. Hopefully, a day will eventually arrive when Gon and Killua take center stage once again; in the meantime, fans might want to pass the time by checking out seasonal anime that could strike a comparable chord. While not containing too manyanime similar toHxH, Fall 2024 has a few shows that warrant a recommendation (beyondBleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Conflict).
Tokyo Ghoul
The ghouls inTokyo Ghoulare carnivorous humanoids who feed on human flesh, and in this regard, they are similar to the Chimera Ants that appear inHunter x Hunter.Every ghoul is capable of using a special predatory organ called a Kagune, and their bodies can withstand a great deal of damage.
Tokyo Ghoulis much more violent thanHxH,and its story is more complex, but it is still a fun watch. Ken Kaneki was an ordinary human before gaining ghoul abilities, and in this sense, he is similar to Gon because they both had to learn to live in a world with new powers.
Blue Exorcist
Blue Exorcistis set in a world with two dimensions. One is home to humans, while the other is a demon dimension ruled by Satan. The demons can enter the human world by possessing someone, and it is up tothe Exorciststo get rid of them. The story focuses on Rin and Yukio Okumura, fraternal twins who are both the sons of Satan.
Rin inherited all of their father’s strength, but they were not evil because they were raised by a powerful exorcist. When his real father kills their adopted father, Rin trains to become an exorcist capable of defeating him. Rin and Gon may have very different relationships with their fathers, but they both train to become stronger.
One of 2024’s biggest new adaptations,Kaiju No. 8has a lot of positives that justify its hype and warrant a wholehearted recommendation, even for people who might be relatively tired of battle shonen. In a refreshing change of pace, the story features an adult protagonist in his early ’30s, although Kafka is still chasing a childhood dream that is a long shot by most reasonable measures.Kaiju No. 8takes place in a world where humanity is regularly bombarded by massive monsters, who usually appear without warning and can cause widespread destruction. Consequently, Japan relies on a special Defense Force to try and keep these entities at bay, and Kafka wishes to join their ranks. Unfortunately, he has never been able to pass their entrance exam. Fortunately, he accidentally swallows a kaiju and gains access to new abilities, which he has to keep hidden to avoid being marked as a threat to humanity.
Boasting great action, lovable characters, and a fun premise (who doesn’t love big monsters ramping through cities?),Kaiju No. 8is just a good time, which is all any anime really needs to be. Beyond that, the Defense Force’s role is not that far removed from Hunters, with both of them essentially acting as humanity’s contact point with the unknown and dangerous. While Kafka is certainly very powerful and undeniably the protagonist, the anime emphasizes the importance of teamwork and coordination, which is a fairly staple theme ofHunter X Hunter.
Every “dark” anime tends to be described as a genre subversion, which is not always accurate. While defying some expectations for battle shonen,Hunter X Huntercontains plenty of the standard elements associated with the genre, even if it might not always present them in the most conventional ways.Puella Magi Madoka Magicamostly does the same for magical girls, telling a story that initially seems to regurgitate the genre’s tropes, before eventually revealing itself to be far more unsettling than the typical mahou shoujo series.
While hardly the first or last “dark” magical girl anime,Puella Magi Madoka Magicais arguably the best example of this type of show. The story explores the roles of magical girls, their “cute” mascots, and their villains, all the while touching upon mature themes like desperation and obsession. Despite its unique elements,Puella Magi Madoka Magicais still ultimately a great representative of the magical girl genre, similar to howHunter X Hunterrepresents battle shonen at its best.
Similar To Hunter X Hunter’s Greed Island Arc
Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku
Hell’s Paradise takes place during the Edo period in Japan, where a group of prisoners facing execution are sent to a mysterious island. Once there, they become stranded and are forced to help each other and fight against monstrous residents. Hell’s Paradise is based on a manga series of the same name by Yuji Kaku.
Hell’s Paradisedebuted in April 2023, and it centers aroundGabimaru, an elite teenage ninja assassin.He was taken from his parents when he was a child and was trained by Iwagakure’s village chief. He became known as Gabimaru The Hollow, because of his lack of emotions.
He is captured during a mission and sentenced to death, but he is offered a pardon by the Shogun. He must find the Elixir of Life and return with it, but he must also return with Yamada Asaemon Sagiri, a female monitor. Gabimaru and other convicts travel to an island in search of the elixir. This is reminiscent ofHxH’s Greed Island location, andHell’s Paradiseis just as bloody.
There was a time whenBleachwas part of the Big Three, which means that it is one ofShounen Jump’s most iconic series.Ichigo Kurosaki is the main character, and the series focuses on the conflict between the Soul Reapers, Hollows, and Quincy. Each race possesses its own spiritual abilities, and many of the characters have unique designs, just likeHunter x Hunter.
Bleach’s power systems are just as complicated asHxH’s Nen, which means that some of the battles get very interesting. LikeHxH, Bleachhas its funny moments, but it does not shy away from violence or mature themes. While the original series is very good,Thousand-Year Blood WarrepresentsBleachat its best, delivering near non-stop action that puts to shame most other shonen anime.
InJujutsu Kaisen,Itadori Yuji inadvertently becomes the host of Ryomen Sukuna, the Demon King. Luckily, Yuji is able to control the powerful demon to a degree, and he is taken to Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High, where he hones his skills so that he can exorcise the demon when the time comes.
Jujutsu Kaisen is a great mixture of adventure, and the demons are reminiscent of some of the monsters encountered inHunter x Hunter.The action inJujutsu Kaisenis driven bycursed tools, and characters who can use cursed energy and cursed techniques, which is similar to how Nen users manipulate their aura.
Both Are Stories About Adventure & Searching For A Parent
Made in Abyss
Made in Abyss is an adventure anime series that began in 2017. Based on the Japanese manga series of the same name, Made in Abyss tells the story of a young girl and her robot searching through a mysterious chasm for her mother. Luci Christian voices Reg alongside Brittany Lauda as Riko.
Made in Abysslooks like a lighthearted anime intended for children, but it covers some dark themes, just likeHunter x Hunter.LikeHxH,several characters inMade In Abyssmeet terrible fates. Riko is the main character, and he goes on an adventure filled with discovery and training, while also searching for an absentee parent, which is similar to Gon’s relationship with his father.
Riko and Reg are cave raiders who journey into the abyss, where they encounter relics and dangers, and they find themselves in situations that leave them depressed and on the verge of death.Made in Abysshas excellent drama, and it is beautifully animated.
Mob Psycho 100
Mob Psycho 100centers aroundShigeo Kageyama, who one day wakes up with powerful psychic abilities. Unlike others, Shigeo chooses to suppress his powers because they are too dangerous, and he trains to use them properly.
As one might suspect,Mob Psycho 100,contains a lot of interesting abilities, which is similar to the various Nen abilities seen inHunter x Hunter. Like HxH,the series can be very funny at times, and although Shigeo’s story is not as detailed as Gon’s, his adventure is still worth watching.
The Promised Neverland
The argument can be made that the Chimera Ant arc isHxH’s best arc, which is interesting since it is extremely dark.The Promised Neverlandis just as dark as this arc, as it follows a group of orphans who learn that their loving “mother” is actually raising them to be eaten by demons.
Emma is the central character, and she tries to lead her friends to safety once she learns the horrible truth. What makesThe Promised Neverlandso captivating is the fact that none of the orphans possess any sort of supernatural abilities that could potentially help them.
